Naughton’s holiday gifts are higher taxes, insider deals

Another year ends and yet another scandal in the Democratcontrolled Massachusetts Legislature is exposed. Last week, Massachusetts taxpayers learned that we are all paying for the House of Representatives’ Democrat-run legal defense slush fund for federally indicted former House Speaker Sal DiMasi. Democrat incumbent Rep. Harold Naughton voted a year ago to re-instate DiMasi as House speaker despite the fact that DiMasi was then under federal criminal investigation. Apparently, such a vote constitutes a Democrat profile in courage and rectitude. Adding insult to injury, Mr. Naughton since failed to tell us, his constituents, that our tax dollars were being funneled to pay DiMasi’s legal bills. Others broke the story.

In November 2009, Mr. Naughton, in three successive House votes, demonstrated his ongoing disdain for taxpaying constituents. He voted against rolling the new 6.25 percent sales tax (which he voted to increase from 5 percent to 6.25 percent in April 2009) back to 5 percent. He voted against eliminating the new 6.25 percent sales tax on liquor (which he voted to impose in April 2009). He voted not to reduce bloated state employee salaries even a measly 1 percent.

Mr. Naughton prefers funding bloated and burgeoning state payrolls to tax relief for his long-suffering constituents. Due to his voting history, we all end this year with fewer of our hard-earned dollars in hand. That’s Mr. Naughton’s way of wishing you and your families a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Remember that when you vote in November 2010. James F. GettensRepublican candidate for state representativeShady LaneSterling